This is a one-year, intensive, full-time course which provides an introduction to a range of Art and Design pathways prior to specialisation and subsequent degree course applications.

A one year,
full-time, course of study
leading to the award of the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, level
4.Upon successful completion of the
course, the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design is awarded by the
University of the Arts London Awarding Body (UALAB), who give us centre
and qualification approval.

The Foundation Diploma in Art and
Design is nationally accredited by Ofqual and is quality assured by UAL
Awarding Body through a rigorous external moderation process and grades
are monitored against agreed national standards.

The Foundation Diploma in Art and
Design is intended primarily for those students who, usually having
completed their A levels, wish to progress to higher education in Art
and Design or associated studies. However, applicants who would like to
use the qualification as either re-orientation (mature applicants) or
as a preparation for employment are welcomed.

Candidates must
satisfy the general admissions requirements which are:

A strong portfolio of Art and/or Design work that demonstrates
ability, commitment and potential.

Five GCSEs at grade A, B or C or the equivalent.

Three GCSEs at grade A, B, or C plus one A level or the
equivalent.

There may be exceptions to this list
and particular circumstances and background records of achievement,
qualifications and experience will be evaluated upon receipt of
application.

Ideally, all qualifying applicants
will be interviewed to assess their suitability to undertake the
course. However, it is anticipated that increasing application levels
could make this logistically difficult and some preliminary assessment
based on digital portfolio submissions may become necessary.

Those for whom
English is not their first language should normally hold at least one
of the following qualifications:

The International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) test:
an overall score of 6.00 or above

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) a score of at
least 550

The JMB University Entrance Test in ESOL: a pass

The Cambridge Certificate in Proficiency in English: a minimum of
grade C

The Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English: a minimum of grade
C

GCSE and IGCSE English Language: a minimum of grade C

The City and Guilds of London
Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, in common with other Foundation
courses in this country, is essentially a transitional course between
school and a university Art or Design degree course. Foundation Courses
are designed to introduce a broader range of subject areas in greater
depth than schools can and are therefore able to provide a basis for
informed decisions about applications for further study. The completion
of a Foundation Course is a normal qualifying requirement for entry
into most BA Art and Design programmes in the U.K, some university
courses currently requiring at least a merit grade from a Foundation
Course as a condition of acceptance.

Many of the students undertaking the
Foundation Course come directly from U.K. schools but there are, in
addition, normally a significant number of students from a variety of
academic and work backgrounds as well as students from across the EEC
and beyond wishing to continue their studies in this country. The
relative proportions of each group can vary significantly from year to
year. Occasionally a student will take up the course and use it as a
discrete educational experience in its own right without any intention
of continuing their Art and Design education at a higher level.
Occasionally a student with a previous academic degree will use the
Foundation Course as a supplementary qualification in order to effect
an immediate transition into a postgraduate or an MA programme in Art
or Design. We normally expect a significant group of our Foundation
students to wish to continue their education at City and Guilds in one
course or another, the number varying from year to year. Of those
who apply to other institutions we have successfully placed virtually
all of our students over the last few years, a very high proportion of
these on to their first choice courses.

Although all Foundation students have
their own studios and staff, a range of service areas and facilities
are available and are used by all students on site. This means that,
for example, a Foundation student who takes a special interest in
printmaking can use the print facilities as well as the expertise of
the specialist print staff whenever they like after specialisation or
at any time of the year in evening classes and will consequently find
themselves working alongside BA or MA students or even visiting
artists. Occasionally another department can become a resource and
staff from other areas will take an interest in, and work with,
Foundation students who have expressed an interest in those areas.

The school has recently acquired the
use of considerable extra space (approximately 600 sq metres) in the
adjacent BT telephone exchange building (Vauxhall TE) and this has
provided us with an opportunity to dramatically improve working spaces
and resources. We have refurbished this space as purpose-built
Foundation studios, designed by the Head of Department. This provides a
superb integrated and flexible working environment for the Foundation
students as well as an additional workshop provision and a lecture
theatre/seminar space, plaster room, brush cleaning facility,
additional computer resource, sewing-machine area etc. This is an
exciting development and provides a whole range of benefits for the
course as well as for the school as a whole which has additional space
available to further develop resources for all of our students.

The number of
students enrolled on the course for the academic year 2014 2015 is 89.The course is a full-time (Monday to
Friday) programme and is generously staffed on a daily basis. The
current staff/student ratio averages about 1:15, discounting technical
staff (i.e. print staff, computer technicians, woodwork, metalwork,
glass technicians, librarian etc.) who are available to all students in
the school. Our various Foundation staff, who are all part-time and who
all maintain their own professional practices, are drawn from a variety
of backgrounds, both Fine Art and Design. Many of them teach, have
taught and in some cases have run courses in other institutions as well.